“It is an honor to once again serve as a judge for the Bridging Futures contest,” said 2012 contest judge 12th District Representative Mike Armstrong. “It is also one of the more challenging roles as each of the artists in the Top 10 category contributed unique drawings with ideas about how we can better engineer highways and bridges to accommodate wildlife safety in Washington. After careful deliberation, I chose the drawing submitted by Krista Heald, a third-grade student at Mountainview Elementary School in Yakima. Krista’s drawing captured an accurate description of Interstate 90 running through the Cascades and often next to a stream or waterway. I especially like the animal overpass in her drawing, which shows how the Washington State Department of Transportation is providing an access corridor to protect wildlife and ensure traffic safety. I wish to thank everyone who submitted drawings in this educational contest.”

The two winning ads will run on a billboard along I-90 this fall to educate motorists, while all Top 10 entries will be framed and travel in a roadshow along the I-90 corridor on display in businesses. The classroom of the two winning students received $200 to purchase supplies to keep their creativity going.

Click here to view our Top 10 entries on our Flickr page, and stay tuned to learn about our winners. Just click on each artwork to read the essay written by the student to explain their work.